The House of Representatives through its Committee on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) has alleged that the leadership of the Senate has prevented all efforts aimed at making budgetary appropriation for the sector’s quality and expansive functioning.
The National WASH Commission came into existence by and Act of Legislation in 2012 and its task is to provide leadership and serves as panacea to fragmentation in governance of WASH across Liberia.
Representative Anthony Williams of Maryland County Electoral District #2 is the chairman of the House’s Standing Committee on WASH and his co-chairman is Representative Thomas Goshua of Grand Bassa County. The two Lawmakers, recently graced a one day symposium organized by the National Wash Commission with a number of stakeholders of the sector in attendance.
Williams disclosed that Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karngara-Lawrence and her colleagues in leadership at the Senate have rejected providing needed support to one of the country’s important agencies that is supposed to help improve the living conditions of people, mainly the underprivileged mass based population.
The event, titled as “National Symposium on the Need for hypothecated tax for Sanitation in Liberia” was held as a debate moderated by the Liberia Media Democratic Initiatives (LMDI) with the objective of highlighting the many constraints confronting girls and women in particular.
Williams and Gohsua said the neglect of the WASH sector by the Senate is troubling and has the propensity of escalating severe and more deplorable living conditions.
John Kollie, Director of LMDI noted in his after debate program’s press statement that Representative Williams demanded immediate redress of the problem by the Unity Party led government, pointing out that the party should consider doing the needful on grounds that sanitation is an integral pillar of the UP’s Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism (ARREST) agenda.
Williams said Sanitation, being a pillar of the UP government’s RESCUE Mission, should make them roll out the needed support for the WASH sector.
The chairman on the Lower House’s Standing Committee on WASH is quoted as saying that all efforts to initiate budgetary appropriation in order to motivate and encourage Liberia’s national and international partners who are immensely contributing to the WASH sector have allegedly fallen on deaf ears in the Liberian Senate.
According to the details available to Verity, Williams further alleged that the Pro-Tempore and her colleagues in leadership at the Senate are opposing support to the sector due to what they refer to as “international partners supporting WASH in Liberia.” “To them, what the international partners are doing is enough for the Commission, even though many people across the country are yet to access safe drinking water and clean environments that guarantee a healthy life.”
He expressed discontent over his fellow Legislators’ alleged “flagrant insensitivity and refusal mainly at the Liberian senate and by extension, and within the entire government to support the WASH sector, something that has rendered Liberia as one of the dirtiest and water undeserved nations of the World.
The Lawmaker who defeated former House Speaker Bhoffal Chambers continued that many health centers across the country, particularly those in rural parts lack access to clean water and sanitary services and that child birth is being made difficult if not impossible amid the troubling experience.
Like his colleague Williams, Thomas Goshua expressed frustration and annoyance on the Senate’s alleged refusal to support the allocation of funds in the National Budget for the WASH sector.
Goshua said his worry increases whenever he sits and thinks about people living the rural parts in particular due to the many alarming constraints, inclusive of lack of better roads and poor or no connections for both calls and internet based exchange of thoughts.
It is no secret though, that the Legislature in general has the constitutional responsibility to make allocations of finances for the functioning of government institutions but, the same branch of government has failed to cut down on wasteful spending such as payment of huge sums of money for their own luxurious cars, fat salaries and many other benefits even though the economy of the country remains poor and livelihoods continue to be pathetic for the ordinary people who exercise their franchise to elect government officials at every public election.
“It is unfortunate that everything we have to do about water business comes from donor partners and we as a government are making no contribution at all,” Goshua lamented.
Representative Goshua said in the last budget year of 2023, and under the Presidency of George Weah, US$500,000 was allotted in the budget for the WASH sector, but said amount was allegedly diverted to something else rather than the WASH sector but reported by the then administration that the money was used for the sector.
He said for the fiscal year going (2024), the House’s WASH committee put in a budgetary allotment of US$300,000 but that the proposed was unilaterally removed by the leadership of the Senate without any reference to the House of Representatives Committee for WASH.
He also blamed the general untidiness of Liberia, especially the capital, Monrovia and its environs on what he called the government’s flagrant lack of interest in the WASH sector of the country.
He called on President Boakai to make WASH a priority as the UP campaigned on the mantra of rescuing people from the ugly past of not only tough economic conditions but also from unsafe water, poor hygiene and absence of sanitation.
While Monrovia, a city that should have been a good example of a clean and healthy place to be in Africa, the city and its surrounding cities, including Paynesville are far from succeeding in managing waste (garbage) and maintaining appropriate urban ordinances that promote healthy living. Piles of garbage are seen at almost every corner of Liberia’s cities and clean and safe drinking water remains scarce for many people.
A panel presentation which followed as one of the key agenda items at the debate focusing the national WASH symposium day, brought together policy decision makers, including Bill McgILL Jones, Deputy Minister of Finance who represented his boss, Finance Minister, augustine Kpehe Ngafuahn.
Jones, in his presentation, agreed with the argument that WASH is a major pillar of good governance and as such, the Ministry of Finance will always support appropriations for the sector once concurred upon by the both Houses of the Legislature. He said it would be important for the 2025 National budget to capture the sector and enhance the activities of the Commission across the country.
The symposium was funded and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its implementing partner, the Population Services International, (PSI) with the operating platform being the Countywide Sanitation Activity the CWSA.
The one day National symposium was organized to discuss the current difficulties the WASH sector of Liberia is confronted with and the need to find ways and means through which the sector can be funded and function for public good with many lives impacted across the country.
Senator Prince Moye, chairman on the Standing Committee on Ways and Means was contacted by Verity for the Senate’s reaction to the Lower House’s Committee on WASH claims but there was no response.
